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(05-15-2015, 11:17 AM)schooner77 Wrote: You have put the emphasis on the walker with your comment "I think that, if they came to understand that some people are on the trail to get places, they would behave differently. I am unsure how to get that message across, though." It is your opinion that "getting places" is more important.

I don't think you should tell me what my opinion is. That doesn't happen to be it. In my opinion, the trail is going to be attractive to both recreational and transportation users, so both should be respectful of the other. I didn't say that "getting places" is more important; but people doing it will probably want to move faster than people who aren't.

You point out how you accommodate recreational users of the trail when you are using it for transportation; that's what I'm saying, that each should accommodate the other. Someone on foot should be aware that they may need to move to the right of the trail if someone is coming behind them moving faster than he or she is. I honestly believe that, when they don't, it's sometimes because they aren't aware that there are other people on the trail for whom it is being used as transportation.

When cycling, I just avoid going on multi-use trails in the first place. I'm usually going fast and as a pedestrian, I don't appreciate people bombing past me, so I try to avoid doing the same to others.

I have noticed, though, that when I run, similar problems arise. I always call out "on your left" or something if approaching walkers on the sidewalk who are blocking the way. Usually the reaction is to turn around to see who was calling out, react in shock that there is a runner, and then move around in confusion while I run past them on the grass next to the path because it took them too long to react appropriately.

I think it's incumbent on all users of trails and sidewalks to be respectful of other users. In the case of slower people, that includes being prepared to move out of the way when someone approaches from behind. It shouldn't be a shock that a runner or cyclist might be overtaking you, and you should be prepared to make way when they do.

(05-15-2015, 12:09 PM)jamincan Wrote: When cycling, I just avoid going on multi-use trails in the first place. I'm usually going fast and as a pedestrian, I don't appreciate people bombing past me, so I try to avoid doing the same to others.

I have noticed, though, that when I run, similar problems arise. I always call out "on your left" or something if approaching walkers on the sidewalk who are blocking the way. Usually the reaction is to turn around to see who was calling out, react in shock that there is a runner, and then move around in confusion while I run past them on the grass next to the path because it took them too long to react appropriately.

I think it's incumbent on all users of trails and sidewalks to be respectful of other users. In the case of slower people, that includes being prepared to move out of the way when someone approaches from behind. It shouldn't be a shock that a runner or cyclist might be overtaking you, and you should be prepared to make way when they do.

Multi-use may be the most that's politically feasible in KW at the moment, but separate walking and cycling tracks do exist elsewhere (e.g. Montreal) and they do separate different uses. As you point out, there's still the question of intent: some people on foot are going to be faster than others. To some extent, utilitarian trails have different routes than recreational trails too, so that helps. But I think we should do all we can to minimize conflicts between different modes, and a lot of it is in infrastructure design.

Pedestrians in the areas around the iron horse have lots of sidewalks they can walk on as well as a few parks that are mostly free from cyclists too. Lots of people drive to Victoria park with bikes on their car and then go riding on the trail. To me that says the city needs to build better trails in other parts of the city too and connect the trail network much better. There's very few places in Kitchener that I can think of that cyclists don't have to share the space with other forms of transportation/recreation, so yeah I don't mind if the Iron Horse is improved more for cycling than pedestrian use, the older part of the city has an extensive sidewalk network. Even so I think the trail can be shared by walkers and bikers even if they are doing it for transport or recreation. Personally, I enjoy commuting by bike or foot, so it's always both for me.

The early work on the spur trail seem to have been started. Looks like remaining vegetation removal along the entire stretch, electrical work between Regina and Allen, and water related works from Union south.

I would think that with advances in LED lighting, solar panel, rechargable battery, etc. technologies, K-W could use the IHT to showcase what Canadian and Waterloo region high-tech enterprises have to offer in low-power sustainable public lighting.

(05-22-2015, 09:26 AM)ookpik Wrote: I would think that with advances in LED lighting, solar panel, rechargable battery, etc. technologies, K-W could use the IHT to showcase what Canadian and Waterloo region high-tech enterprises have to offer in low-power sustainable public lighting.

They are already widely available in several developing countries. This is a picture of the model in use in Chennai (Madras), India:

The hearsay I've gotten, is that they're laying conduit to support future lighting. When I saw the trail yesterday, there were deep trenches dug on either side, which looked like they were for just that.

Signage for the closure has been non-existant, coming from the south. You end up trapped, having to return down to Union, or go off-roading to York.

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